Gift Ideas: Uncommon Goods {Wine Barrel Lazy Susan}

Looking for unique gift ideas for everyone on your list? Allow me to introduce you to Uncommon Goods.

I have a note stored on my phone where I keep a running list of gift ideas for friends and family. I add to it throughout the year, as inspiration strikes, so I’m not scrambling at the last minute, desperate for the perfect present. Some of our crew are harder to shop for than others, so when I scored a pretty awesome, totally unique gift for my Dad a few weeks ago at a vendor show I was doing, I was beyond stoked. Like, I felt like it totally took the pressure off of everything else. Now to just hope that he likes it…

The folks at Uncommon Goods reached out to me a few months back, inviting me to check out their gift ideas and they kindly offered to send me something of my choosing. And that’s when it began to get difficult.

I wanted to pick something that I knew we could get a lot of use out of with our regular entertaining, and I wanted it to be something that I loved, but knew I wouldn’t buy for myself.

Because there’s always a more practical need, just waiting in the wings…

And then I saw it.

The Wine Barrel Lazy Susan.

Lazy Susans have been around forever. I am fairly certain that both my Mom and grandmother had one, and it just reminds me of something old-fashioned, but, more importantly, something that has withstood the test of time.

And so it was.

When the box arrived at our front door step, I was a little put off by the size. It was huge. And the Lazy Susan filled up the entire thing. I immediately thought it would be too big, but I carried it over to the dining room table to give it a whirl (both figuratively and literally) anyway. Handmade in Texas from reclaimed wood, these pieces are fashioned from retired wine barrels. Every one has a distinctive seal on it, and, I’ve got to say, the oak wood is gorgeous. As in stunning. Like you want to just sit and stroke it.

And ever since that moment, the Lazy Susan is used on a daily basis. When we’re entertaining, we put either a few dishes on it, to make it easy for everyone to reach the plates and serve themselves, or I’ll put a stack of plates, napkins, and utensils on instead. When we’re not having company over, we either have a seasonal decoration on it (like right now, there is a silver mirrored tree), or all our vitamins and salt and pepper shakers.

It’s seriously a wonder that we survived as long as we did without it. And it just might be the perfect gift for a special recipient on your holiday gift list. Although it is a little on the spendy side, Uncommon Goods actually has a ridiculous amount of affordable gift ideas for every budget, including an entire section of gifts under $25 and a whole area devoted to dining and entertaining. Which is pretty much where I spend all my time.

If you haven’t yet discovered Uncommon Goods, it’s a solid company headquartered in NYC. They have a number of handmade items throughout their site, are environmentally conscious, and donate a portion of their profits to charitable causes.

Which is pretty much my favorite type of company to buy from.

*Uncommon Goods did send me the Wine Barrel Lazy Susan gratis so I could check out their products and share with you guys … the good, the bad, the indifferent. Opinions are completely mine, and I am grateful to companies that support this blog.